INTERNATIONAL >Russia wants Turkey to convince Syria’s opposition to sit down with al-Assad

Turkey should use its influence on the Syrian opposition to convince it to sit at the negotiating table with Syria’s government, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov.

"If there is something like a unified Syrian opposition and if Turkey has an influence on them, of course it’s vital [for Turkey] to use this influence," Peskov told a group of journalists ahead of a joint press conference between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Putin.

Peskov said the number of Syrian refugees flowing into Turkey would rise to hundreds of thousands if the Bashar al-Assad government is overthrown.

"Turkey says the al-Assad regime should go, but we say that if the al-Assad regime goes then the number of refugees flowing into Turkey would rise from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. Syria will turn into a lake of blood. Syria will be dragged into instability and into a power vacuum," Peskov said.